The Tea Shop
by HavenFanMA
Summary: Description: What happens on "the morning after" for Nathan and Audrey. Something odd happened, something sexual - maybe    Sorry about the delay in updating. All eight chapters are now up.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Tea Shop

Disclaimer: As always - I do not own the characters, though I wish I did.

Summary: What happens the morning after

Chapter One

The morning light broke over the couple curled in a ball in the front of a large blue truck. As they slowly woke, both groaned at the intrusion of the light and tried to untangle themselves without bumping elbows, knees or honking the horn. As they pulled apart both seemed to come out of a deep fog.

"Nathan, what the hell happened?" the woman asked, holding her head.

"Oh Crap" said the man, rubbing his eyes with the palm of both hands, then looking around in distress. "Um… Audrey? We're not… uh, completely dressed".

She could feel she wasn't wearing a bra and wouldn't have been surprised if her underwear had been missing too. She looked down at herself, then over at him turning bright red as she did so. "Um, wow - yeah". His shirt was buttoned out of order and untucked, his fly undone.

As he frantically put his clothes back in order he glanced at Audrey and noticed what looked a lot like both a bad case of bed head and several hickeys. _What the hell? _"I've never had to ask this before but… did we do something?"

They looked at each other. Both faces startled, confused, and a little embarrassed.

"What is the last thing you remember?" She asked. She tried to think back to the day before, but found it mostly foggy. "Breakfast, I remember breakfast".

"Me too, then going to the station".

"Ok, then.."

"Paperwork and …" He stopped, forehead crinkled. "Did we get a call?'

"about a missing car?" She added.

"At the tea shop" they said together. They then stopped and stared out the window. Beyond entering the tea shop, neither could remember anything until they woke.

Nathan tried hard to avoid looking at Audrey, her mussed state and the fact that he might be responsible for it were both very, very distracting. "We should clean up before we go over there. I'm pretty sure this will go better with fresh clothes and a shower".

Audrey felt relieved, at least they had some facts. "Right. Drop me at my place" she said in a business-like tone. The thought of going to Nathan's place and grabbing a shower made her nervous. She was pretty sure they must have had sex last night, given the both very sore, and deeply relaxed feeling in her body. She wasn't clear on much, but definitely didn't want to be in any situation that could get intimate right now.

He dropped Audrey at her place with the promise to pick her up in an hour. She began to step into her shower, glancing at the mirror as she did so. Then she froze. Slowly, she walked over to the mirror on the back of her bathroom door. _Is that a bite mark? How did I get one there?_ The possibilities made her flush and sit down suddenly on the top of the toilet. Apparently whatever happened to her last night was pretty passionate. _I wonder if Nathan has marks like this? _She rubbed her lips with her fingers and tried hard to remember what happened.

Nathan drove home in a state close to shock. _Did I.. did we.. Really?_ He started to get worked up. _Finally? I got to… and I don't remember? Hell! _Trying hard to push those thoughts out of his mind he went home, cleaned up and changed on autopilot. He had to be calm, clinical. This was a case after all, he had to focus on being a professional.

By the time Nathan got back to Audrey's place she was ready and waiting outside. She had a notepad and pen in her hands, her service revolver and badge on her hip and was looking very serious. "The notes?" he asked amused.

"I have been writing up the timeline with possible drugs that might have been involved, assuming this isn't something more…"

"Troubling?" said Nathan with a smile.

"Exactly".

The drive to the little tea shop was polite, but quieter than usual. Both were so tied up in their thoughts and trying so hard to be normal, they were nearly unrecognizable.

The tea shop was a small building at the end of a scenic dirt road. It had a nice view of the water but was pretty well hidden from the road. Only a small hand-painted sign, "Anna's Tea Heaven" next to a mail box, gave its location away.

They walked up to the door, tentatively, not sure if they should treat the occupants as suspects or witnesses.

A small red-haired woman in a long flowered dress opened the door and said in a soft, almost musical voice "Come in dears, I imagine you must be very confused right now". She stood back and held the door open.

Looking at each other in surprise, they walked in and let the door close behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the feedback!

Chapter Two

As they stepped into the shop Audrey breathed in the smell of tea, wood, oranges, and fresh baked cookies. Nervous as she was, she still found the smell to be comfortable and relaxing. Slowly, the tension begin to drain from her shoulders. Looking at Nathan, she smiled as she noticed he was breathing deeply with closed eyes. Nathan must have realized he was doing this because his eyes quickly snapped open and he flushed a deep pink.

The tea shop owner was smiling at them, standing with her hands clasped behind her back. Once they were in the shop she moved past them, flipped the sign to "Closed" and locked the door.

"Why are you doing that?" Nathan asked startled.

"Do you really want anyone to be able to come in while we figure out what you two did with…" She smiled a kind but knowing smile. "..and to each other yesterday." She looked them up and down "and presumably, this morning." She gave a small chuckle and shook her head.

"You know?" Audrey said horrified.

"That you had sex? Of course I do, don't be silly. Go have a seat and I'll get us a drink" she said quickly while flapping her hands at them - shooing them into the back room.

Moving into the back they noticed a small round table with two comfortable chairs, a trunk, some shelves with knickknacks, and a large wooden cabinet in the corner. The floor had a thick, dark, and very fluffy rug covering most of it. They moved around the room both feeling a little lost and very confused.

They didn't know what to think. They came here to see what had happened, if they had been drugged or been on the receiving end of some strange Haven incident. Neither of those seemed to be the case. This was not what either one had expected. Not only did this woman seem to know what happened but she seemed comfortable, not embarrassed - or even surprised.

She bustled into the room with a tray that had cups, saucers, spoons, and a large tea pot on it. She set this on the table, flapped her hands at them to get them to sit down and left the room again.

They looked at each other and sat. _What was going on?_ When she came back into the room she was dragging a wooden stool in one hand and had a ring of keys in the other. After setting the stool down next to the table, she walked over the the wooden cabinet, and fit a small silver key into the lock.

Opening the cabinet door revealed two shelves; one with a box next to empty bottles, another with a wooden tray with rows of small bottles on them. All the bottles were filled with colored liquids. She pulled out the wooden tray and selected three bottles. One had clear dark blue liquid inside, one had a bright opaque yellow liquid, and the last was filled with a liquid that seemed to be dark reddish-brown. All the bottles were sealed with red wax over the stopper.

Nodding to herself, she put two of the bottles in her pocket and rummaged in the box on the lower shelf, extracting an eyedropper. She locked the cabinet and brought the bottle and eyedropper to the table, setting them next to the tea pot.

"Look!" Nathan began. He was frustrated, confused and felt that he should get a handle on the situation. She raised a hand and interrupted "Wait!".

She put her other hand up. "If you can let me explain this will go much faster. Please give me a few minutes and we can sort all this out for you both." Her voice was polite and patient, but had an undertone of urgency.

Audrey wasn't sure what could be sorted out. _We did have sex didn't we? She said we did. What can be done about that? _She didn't know what she wanted, but knew that not knowing what went on between her and Nathan was not an option. Then an odd fact struck her. She didn't even know if this woman was the Anna named on the sign. "Who are you? Are you the owner?"

"One of them. My name is Annette, but everyone calls me Anna". She was older, probably in her 50's, small and had a squarish face that made her look vaguely English or Irish. Her red hair had small traces of gray and was pulled back into a low bun.

Sighing softly Anna began. "What happened to you was entirely my fault and I deeply apologize. I normally don't make anything without locking the door and would have never been so casual…" She seemed to lose her train of thought. "I was shaken by my car being stolen, I wasn't thinking clearly, I'm sorry."

"I don't understand" Nathan said, his forehead wrinkled, his eyes turning dark with confusion. "You did this… thing, somehow?"

"Well" Anna said, "Yes, and no. I make.. let's call them elixirs. They each can help people make… um, connections that they otherwise might be too timid or uncomfortable to make".

"Connections?" asked Audrey "You mean they are… like aphrodisiacs?" She tried to keep a professional expression on her face and not squirm.

"Not exactly" Anna said. "I have several elixirs that I make, my family has made for generations. The one that you two encountered, in a rather dramatic fashion, is one that will help people connect - or reconnect, in a sexual way. But it only works with those that have some kind of connection already."

"But we've never…we don't.." Nathan sputtered.

"I know" Anna said. She was forceful enough to make Nathan stop speaking and for he and Audrey to sit, eyes fixed on Anna, waiting for her to explain.

"You were splashed by accident and ingested a much larger than normal dose of this." She picked up the bottle with the blue liquid. "This is meant to be part of a larger reconnection process for couples. It is not something that works for strangers, or sadly for those couples whose relationship is damaged beyond repair."

Audrey and Nathan eyed the bottle like it was a small decorative hand grenade and shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Anna continued. "When I sell this, I give people specific instructions on it's use. It's often best if they set the scene. A comfortable room, music, perhaps candles - and total privacy, that last one is essential. They're to make eye contact, drink something that has two or three drops of the elixir in it, and then clasp hands. Within a few minutes most tension, fear, and underlying resistance to intimacy is gone. What is left is a deep connection, but one that comes with an uncontrollable need to be honest. It is not, as you might have guessed… for everyone."

"But we didn't…" Nathan looked at Audrey "Did we?"

"I was flustered when you came in. I had been making a new batch and should have just taken it back here to get it out of the way. I put it on the shelf next to the register and wasn't looking." She frowned. "That damn cat. Anyway -you two were both splashed in the face with it and before I could warn you not to, you had swallowed some. I tried to get you to sit so I could give you something to dampen the effects but you left… very quickly."

Audrey tried to process this. _It wasn't just a drug? It was something that added to... what they had? What did they have?_ She was finding it hard to think.

Nathan looked upset. "What if someone gets this and uses it against someone else? This could be dangerous in the wrong hands!"

Anna put a hand on his arm and gave him gentle smile. it was the expression that parents often give upset children. "It's not a problem, believe me. My family has been refining our little additives for generations." She shook the little bottle, causing the liquid to splash around inside. "This by itself will not do it. It only helps existing connections to work… more smoothly." She sat back and tucked a lose hair back into the bun.

Anna looked from one to the other, clearly trying to be sure they understood. "There is a way this must be done. It must be drunk by both parties at the same time and eye contact must be maintained when ingesting the liquid. If the people have a connection, one that won't cause… um, let's call it psychic damage … then they will find the connection they have, magnified." She frowned "If someone tried to put this in an unsuspecting person's drink they will experience.. side effects." Her frown became a tight wicked smile.

Both pairs of eyebrows shot up. "Like what?" They asked in unison.

Anna's face curved into a small smile. "Well, for the person who was innocent, nothing. For the other… cramps, bloating, sometimes acne. They would not be able to perform any sexual act, even alone for days. Oh yes.. and then there's the gas." Her face lit with a huge grin which quickly fell away to a serious expression. "Don't worry dear - it also prevents pregnancy."

Audrey blinked, she hadn't even thought about that. Looking at Nathan it was clear that he hadn't thought of it either and was equally taken aback.

"So" Anna said, "If you are both certain you want to remember what happened, I can help you." She fixed them each in turn with an intense look. "You will need to choose. Remember everything, or stay as you are. Once you begin to remember, you must remember it all" She looked sad for a brief moment. "Nothing else will do, believe me."

"Has this happened a lot?" Audrey asked, wondering what the sad look meant.

"In my lifetime, twice. The second time I was involved so I know what you're going through." She looked at them with a mixture of sympathy and pity.

"So... how do we remember what happened?" Nathan said in a nervous voice.

Anna put the blue bottle back in her pocket and took out the yellow one. "This will give you.. clarity. But you will need to take small doses, and this will take a little time." She stood up and poured tea into each cup. Pulling on a ribbon under the wax seal on the yellow bottle, she uncovered it, took out the stopper, and inserted the eyedropper. She added two drops to each cup, looked at them both, and added one more drop in each.

_Why do I feel like a white rabbit is going to show up any second now?_ Audrey looked at Nathan who gave her a tentative nod. "Ok. What do we do?" She said, her stomach tight with fear.

Anna opened a small chest on the floor, it had blankets inside. "Please put your weapons in here" Seeing the look they gave her she added quickly "Nothing has ever happened! I am just making the room as safe as possible."

They both thought for a moment, then took their badges and guns and handed them to Anna, who put them into the chest. She locked it with a small brass key. "I will need for you both to do exactly what I ask you. What you experienced was very, very intense and it is not wise to bring all of that back in one moment."

She waited for them to nod and continued. "When I leave you should each take one sip, not a gulp… a sip of tea and then sit back. Once you have remembered all that you can, and are ready to continue, take another sip. You will eventually remember everything - but it will be very draining emotionally and should be done slowly. When you are done I will open the door."

Nathan's head jerked up."You're locking us in?"

"Yes"

They both began to protest but Anna cut them off. "You MUST understand!" she was clearly agitated now. "This is not an easy process and it must be seen through to the end. There is no other way." She then stopped, clasped her hands in her lap and waited for them to speak.

Though they felt uneasy, they both nodded. Anna nodded in response, picked up the teapot, and walked to the door.

"Wait" Audrey asked. "How will you know when it's over?"

"I'll know" she said with a trace of sadness in her eyes. She turned, left, and closed the door. They heard the lock click a few seconds later.

Audrey and Nathan looked at the cups, at each other, and then back at the cups. They both tentatively reached out and took a cup. Sitting back in their chairs they took one small sip each, set the cups down, and swallowed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Audrey and Nathan were doing their normal gentle bickering on the way to the tea shop. It was nearly the end of a very boring day and both had nothing much to do in the last few hours besides paperwork and busting the other one's ass.

When they stepped into the shop they both noticed the wonderful smell, the rows and rows of tea tins on the walls, and a nervous little woman putting a bowl up away on a shelf to her left. She had just turned to greet them when a large, fuzzy ginger cat, that had been eyeing the bowl as she moved it, decided to take that moment to leap onto the shelf and investigate it's contents.

It happened in an instant. The cat leaped, the bowl fell, the woman yelled, and blue liquid cascaded over Nathan and Audrey.

Nathan was startled. His first instinct was to move away, and in doing so bumped into Audrey. As he looked at her he froze. She was looking at him with startled amazement. As he swallowed in surprise he tasted a mixture of vanilla and rich cream, a hint of mint, and what was probably Earl Grey tea. He could feel the warmth of her skin flowing up his arm and realized that when he turned he had grabbed her hand.

Audrey was shocked at the suddenness of what just happened and turned instinctively to Nathan, moving to pull him away from whatever was flying towards them. She didn't move fast enough, and caught a full face of the liquid before she turned. As Nathan grabbed her hand she looked at him and was jolted by how blue his eyes were. Normally they had had a mix of blue and grey but now they seemed to be made of blue glass; clear, bright, and sparkling. She swallowed without meaning to, and was caught by the wonderful taste and smell of the liquid.

Without thought, Audrey reached over and wiped some of the liquid from Nathan's face. His reaction was immediate and dramatic.As he jerked in response to her touch, he shot her a look that was unlike anything she had ever seen. His face held desperate longing, fear, and a terrible, lonely sadness. She drew in a sharp breath and grabbed for his other hand. Without stopping to say anything, or get a towel to clean her face, Audrey dragged Nathan to the door and outside. She took no notice of the woman trying to stop them, and heard nothing of what she said.

Once outside Audrey pushed Nathan up against the truck. "You can feel! You didn't tell me. Why!" She was furious, hurt, and confused by the fact that all she wanted to do was pull him to her and kiss him deeply.

Nathan looked like he was struggling not to speak and failing. He moved away from her, towards her and then away again, covered his mouth with his hand and then threw both arms away from his body as if words were being pulled from him. Nathan's voice was low and gravely at first, then grew louder. "I wanted to… I was afraid.. what you'd say.. do. If you would pity me, feel obligated somehow. You are the only person I can feel and I want you so much I can't stand it." His voice dropped again. "If I told you… you might leave.. we might not be friends.. I need you, you're so important… to me, to here". He gestured around him. "I don't want you to feel pressure, trapped. You're more than someone to have sex with… you're my best friend. I can't risk losing that… even if you never… " The words faded as he turned to pull away but spun in place as if he was magnetically drawn to Audrey and couldn't move away even if he tried.

Audrey hit him hard in the chest, grabbed him by the collar, kissed him hard, and stepped back yelling. "You Idiot! You should have told me - why would you? What were you…?" Words failing, she flung herself at him and kissed him desperately. He jerked when she hit him, then reeled after she kissed him and stepped back. When she moved in again to kiss him he threw both arms around her and kissed her deeply. They clung to each other. His hands stroking her hair and back, hers clinging to his shoulders.

When they broke apart, both seemed to realize where they were, and what they were doing enough to move apart and climb into the truck. "Where..?" Nathan asked. "Just drive" she said, eyes fixed on the road. The truck pulled out of the driveway and followed a winding path further into the woods. Once out of sight of the shop, the water, and any other buildings they pulled off the road and turned off the engine.

He looked at her and began to speak "We should.." She quickly put one hand over his mouth, turned to face him and moved closer. "How long has it been since you could feel a woman?" He smiled a little, "Forever." She kissed him, her hands moving up and down his chest, then began tugging his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans and undoing buttons. He pulled up the back of her shirt, sliding his hands up inside to stroke her back. She arched a little at his touch, and he smiled brightly before leaning in to kiss her again.

For several minutes they tugged and pulled, unbuttoned and kissed, until they were both free of their shirts and she was straddling his lap bitting, very gently on his neck. His groans turned into a gasp. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her gently away from him as he looked into her eyes with a serious expression. "Audrey, It's been a really long time. I don't know how…" She smiled and kissed him to make him stop talking. "You don't have to worry. I know you haven't felt this much in ages and you're almost ready to explode."

She grinned in a very mischievous way and took his wrists in her hands. She placed both his hands behind his head, moved off his lap, and reached for his zipper. "This one's all yours. We have plenty of time to do other things but for now, lay back. It's ok." . She was grinning when said this, but burst out laughing when she saw the look of hope and surprise he gave her.

The truck began to be pattered with the sharp "tap-a tap-tap" of rain. As Nathan leaned back into the seat and Audrey slid down his torso, the rain increased to a shower and then heavy downpour. The rain slamming down on the truck acted as a cocoon of sound, making the cab of the truck into its own private world. Through the rain the sounds of his moans, growing ever louder, drifted into the woods. They were soon followed by sharp, loud cries and finally, silence.

Audrey blinked and stared at her tea cup. She was shaking slightly and felt the heat of a strong blush on her face. Looking up tentatively, she saw Nathan gripping his knees with both hands, saw his flushed face and heard

his deep and rapid breathing. His gaze was fixed on the table. He seemed to be concentrating on getting his breathing back to a slower, gentle rate. He shifted in his seat, turning his knees away from the table and moved his fixed gaze to the floor. Deeply unsettled and embarrassed, they were both conscious of the intense need to not look at each other, to not connect in any way. Each felt a strong pull towards the other and spent several minutes fighting it before they could face each other across the table.

After what was probably five or six more minutes they each locked eyes briefly and then looked at the cups of tea. Tentatively they each took a very small sip, set the cups down and swallowed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Audrey laughed as she put the truck in gear. She felt happy and very, very smug. She had moved him to the passenger side of the truck so he could lean back and just soak in the new sensations. His eyes were closed and he had a crooked smile on his face. He looked for all the world like a very happy drunk. As she glanced over, he licked his lips and wiggled a little in the seat, then sighed and rolled his head to look at her. It was all Audrey could do to not punch the air in victory. She was elated. She had been with enough men to know the difference between a good sexual encounter and one that was more.. meh. This was one for the books.

She drove, with occasional directions from Nathan, to his place. Audrey realized that she had never been inside but going there seemed normal, like it was what should be happening. Her normal curiosity at checking out how he lived was dimmed. She wanted nothing more at that moment than more Nathan, preferably naked. Humming to herself she pulled into his driveway.

They walked in, hand in hand, both smiling at each other and blushing a little. It felt more like a date than anything either one had done in ages. Moving to the refrigerator Nathan brought out a container of orange juice and opened a cabinet. "Would you..?" he asked. She nodded and he handed her a tall glass then took one down for himself.

She looked around. The place was nice, comfy. Not too cluttered but hardly neat. Then her eyes fell on the fireplace and the wood stacked next to it in a neat pile. She pointed "but you can't feel heat?" She looked at him with a curious expression, knowing, somehow that there would be an explanation and that it would somehow be very "Nathan-y."

He drank his juice with a private smile on his face, put the glass in the sink, and went to the fireplace to start a fire. "I keep the temperature at 65 so it's not super cold but, no I don't need it to be warm. I use the fireplace about once a week, give or take". He looked over his shoulder at her as he put the logs in place. "The heat is probably the best part of a fire, but the light, the smell, and the sound are pretty good too."

Audrey walked over and stood next to the fire as he lit it. As it grew, the light began to dance over their faces and made the room seem friendlier, homier. In very little time it was putting out some serious heat. Audrey stood next to it and let one side of her body get warm, then reached the arm that was facing the fire towards Nathan. "So you can feel the heat now?"

He touched her arm and she saw a small look of amazement dart past on his face, replaced by a satisfied grin. "Yes, it feels nice." Looking into her face, his eyebrows drew together and he frowned. "What are you thinking?" has asked, suspicion thick in his voice. He was trying not to smile.

She smiled mysteriously at him and moved back into the kitchen. "Be just a sec" she called. He looked ion the kitchen for a moment, then shrugging he sat down in front of the now roaring fire. He heard her rummaging in the kitchen and watched as she walked back in to the room, grinning a small evil grin. "OK, what?" he asked with a mock worried look.

She held out one hand. In it was a small ice cube. "Now, I know you can't feel this" she said drawing it down the side of his neck "but what about…" she popped it into her mouth, then leaned in and sucked on his neck just above his collarbone. He made a squeaking sound and pulled her into his arms, laughing as he kissed her. "I've got an even better idea" he whispered in her ear."

Audrey's eyes were open wide. She looked down at the fuzzy rug, then across the table at Nathan. He seemed surprised and curious too. They had both been breathing hard and were a little awkward with each other. He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. She squeezed her thighs feeling the tingling and warmth of anticipation.

Both looked covertly at each other and broke into embarrassed laughter. They turned in their seats to face each other, shifted to get comfortable and reached for the cups. Blushing and looking at each other through half closed eyes they each took a much bigger sip


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this took so long. It was a lot harder writing a sex scene than I thought it would be. I'm not sure if it works. Feedback is welcome.

Chapter Five

Laughing, they stumbled into the bathroom. He turned the shower on and stepped back gesturing her to take over. She made it very warm, but not hot. They were stripped and inside the shower within minutes. It was small, a square box shower with a glass door. She liked it. The small size made everything more intimate and it was easier to lean against a wall without the risk of slipping and falling.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Grabbing the soap he began slowly working across her shoulders, chest, back and legs. She moaned as she clung to him, leaving marks in his shoulders as her knees began to give way. Nathan turned trying to shelter her from the spray of the water. The temperature went higher - the heat from his body and the heat from the water helped her to relax. Slowly she began to move in time with his hands and mouth, her moans becoming gasps and cries.

Nathan was amazed. He knew exactly what to do and how long he could keep her floating before pushing her higher or letting her down. He had always been good at sex but had never felt this… sure. He knew exactly what to do, what would work for her, how far he could push her and have her be comfortable.

The heat and smoothness of the water, and friction of hands on damp skin heightened all sensations. Even the smallest kiss, the lightest touch was astonishing.

He grabbed her thigh and pulled her leg up along his hip, sliding his hand up between her legs. She twitched and cried out. She pushed herself into him and tried to kiss him hard. He kept his face far enough back that she could only brush his lips with hers. Her moan of protest became a gasp. The sound of her voice, shaking and weak with pleasure made him shudder. He fought to keep himself focused on her, though it was all he could do to keep himself in check.

Audrey felt her legs begin to shake as her body pulsed with sensation. The waves of heat and a deep, strong tingling worked across her body. She soared higher and higher, until with one loud cry she sailed over the edge. Her body released as her legs collapsed under her. Nathan caught her and held her up, kissing her gently. When she was able to steady herself he turned off the water and helped her out of the shower.

Wrapped in towels they made their way clumsily to the bedroom. The heat from the fire had warmed the room and made it comfortable. Audrey tossed the towel onto the floor, launched herself onto the bed laughing, and reached for him. She pulled at his arms, trying to pull him over her. He resisted. "Wait"

"Whyyyy?"

He smiled at her pout. "Because, beautiful - there is so much to learn." He stood up and grabbed the towel she had worn in from the bathroom. When he turned back to the bed he chuckled at the sight of her sitting on the bed looking desirable, a little frustrated, and very cute.

"And what exactly does that mean?" She said with a small smirk.

He sat next to her and put a hand on her cheek, gave her a small kiss and said in a low gravely voice "I've wanted to be with you for so long. I want to know every part of you, every sound you make. What you look like, smell like, taste like". Her eyes opened wide. "Would it be ok if we took our time?" he asked with a confidant smile.

She nodded. He gently dried her skin and hair, then motioned for her to lay back on the bed. Though she wanted nothing more that to hurry things along, she saw how much Nathan wanted to make more of a production of things. It didn't hurt that he had just proposed what sounded like world-class foreplay either. Sighing, she wiggled into the bedding and let her head sink into the pillow.

He pulled the covers over her to make her warmer. "So" he asked with a mischievous grin. "What if I do this?" He slides a hand under that blanket. She giggled at first and then sighed. He pulled the blanked a little and leaned over to kiss her throat, chest, and stomach. "And what about…" While still kissing her up and down her torso, he slid a hand over her thighs. Her moans made him laugh with a deep satisfaction.

Audrey would never have expected Nathan to have quite such a playful streak. She was used to a decent amount of foreplay from some men, though certainly not all of the ones she had been with. Nathan was clearly a bit more creative than most. _Why didn't I try this earlier?_ she thought. _We could have been together for months already. What was I afraid of?_ Slowly her body moved from happy and relaxed to warm and tingly. She began to wiggle and squirm under the motions of his hands and mouth.

Nathan reveled in her reactions. He could move her higher and then gently and slowly bring things down. "Nooo" she protested. He chuckled and whispered into her ear, "Well then… what about this?" He leaned in to kiss her neck and puts both hands back in play. She arched up as he brought her closer, and higher - then slowed down again. He sighed and said in a happy voice, "This is wonderful - like the worlds best musical instrument". "Faster" please was all she said in reply.

"Soon, I promise"

"but…I … " she gasped. "Ooh. Yes… more oooooh".

Slowly and then quickly, he brought her close to the edge then backed off. Once he was sure it was time he brought her sailing over the edge her cries driving her further and further until she collapsed and he curled around her, pulling the blanket up to cover them both.

After a while he began to kiss her gently on her cheek, forehead, and neck. His hands slid under the blanket and she began to move.

The soundtrack began with a pattern - moans, giggles, moans, groans, a gasp, then a squeak. It soon became loud moans, screaming, pleading, more screaming, moaning softly, some quiet, then soft moans - both hers and his.

Slowly, added to her voice was a metallic squeak then to that a tap-tap-tap from the headboard. Soon the sounds were loud and fast. Both were crying out loud and raw. The bed was creaking, the head of the bed slamming - BANG BANG BANG into the wall.

With one final cry they both collapsed, sweating, into the bed and curled around each other. Audrey looked at Nathan with tears in her eyes, she began to shiver. Nathan looked at her. "I love you, Audrey".

Audrey felt a chill run thorough her veins. She had been so scared she'd have to say it first. Her heart began to beat and she found herself speaking without even meaning too. "I love you too - God! So much!" His face split into a huge grin and they both began to laugh. They fell asleep in each others arms, and slept for hours.


	6. Chapter 6

I wrote this chapter and the next one before I finished chapter 5. I hope they work well together. Let me know what you think

Chapter Six

Nathan sat staring at the far wall. His eyes were dry from not blinking. His heart was pounding hard and fast. The odd aching and tingling sensation in his legs start to drain away leaving a hollow feeling. His throat felt rough, like he'd been yelling for hours. He didn't know what to think - everything was too much, too intense to think about. He wanted desperately to stop thinking about this and run away. He looked down at his hands clenched in his lap and peeked quickly, through his lashes over at Audrey.

She was hunched over in her chair with her arms wrapped around her; defensive, shocked, and quiet. Memories of sex like that were rare in her experience but even the most extreme of them had the shield of time giving her some kind of emotional protection. She wasn't prepared to feel the full truth of everything they said and did in one short, fast burst.

She wanted to cry, hide, or run very far away. She liked Nathan but didn't love him, did she? She shook her head, trying to shake her thoughts back into place. The confession of love seemed like truth to her but it came from out of nowhere and felt a little like it was some other Audrey speaking. Could she have… they have, really done that? She was really embarrassed at how worked up she got, how odd she felt now - and what about Nathan? She looked carefully at him through the fan of her hair.

He looked uncomfortable. She saw the flash of his blue eyes dart to her, back to his knees, then back to her. Without warning he stood up and walked over to the door. Trying to open it yielded no result but he kept trying. His back was to her and she noticed his shoulders were pulled up high. After trying the knob and knocking on the door for a minute he started to pace the far side of the room, the side away from Audrey.

Nathan was confused. He wanted nothing more than to leave and figure out a way to make this whole thing into some weird dream. What happened was amazing, was incredible, but it was so jarring he felt sick. After a few minutes he walked back to the chair and sat down. He ran his fingers through his hair and said in a low voice "I feel like I have a sunburn on the inside of my skin".

He risked a glance at her. She was looking at him, her eyes were red and she looked pained. "Me too" she said softly and wiped at her eyes. "I don't…" She stopped. What could she say? She didn't know how she felt or how she should feel. She started to cry softly. "I don't want to do this anymore".

Nathan jerked to his feet when he heard her. _Audrey!_ He walked over to her but froze when she held up a hand, asking him to keep away. It hurt. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, protect her. All his discomfort, his embarrassment disappeared and he was left with a sad and painful longing. He jammed both hands into his pockets and moved away from her.

Audrey's eye's opened wide. She looked at Nathan's back, him trying to not look at her, and realized what she had just done. "Nathan" she sad softly. He turned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" She stood and walked over to him. She was terrified and found each step to be harder than the last. She wasn't going to run away though. She had been through too much in her short life to let this defeat her, and nothing was worth hurting Nathan.

As she walked to him Nathan stopped breathing. He didn't want to do anything that might make her stop or change her mind. She walked into his arms and buried her face in his chest. Nathan wrapped his long arms around her and took a deep breath. As scared as he was, nothing in the world would stop him from being with Audrey from holding her and telling her he would always be there for her.

"I don't know what to think" she said in a muffled voice. Looking up at him she said "I've never said that before". He looked down at her and felt his heart melt_ Oh God, of course she hasn't_. He pulled her deeper into his arms and kissed the top of her head. Her rough laugher, mixed with tears made his chest vibrate.

They stood, arms around each other for a very long time. Each trying to breathe slowly and just find some sense of calm. Eventually they walked back to their chairs, sat and picked up their cups. Looking at each other they drank the rest of the tea.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Nathan woke several hours later to the feel of Audrey shaking him. "Wake up, wake up… Nathaannnn." She sounded about twelve. He rolled over rubbing his eyes "Wha? …hrmmm. Hey, whassup?"

She gazed down at him. His sleepy face and tousled hair would have won the prize for "World's Cutest Man" if Audrey were in charge of voting. She grinned at him, bouncing a little on her heels. "Get some clothes on.. I want to drive. There's not much in the kitchen and I need pancakes, NOW."

Muttering under his breath, Nathan rolled out of bed and stumbled into his jeans and a shirt. He was so woozy that he couldn't button his shirt correctly, and didn't zip his jeans but didn't try to hard to fix either and went to look for his keys.

She stood in the doorway. Her hair was a mess and she clearly had spent a lot of time having lots and lots of sex. Neither of them gave this much thought as they were both feeling… odd. They were tired, giddy and almost drunk. Nathan felt a surge of adrenaline once he headed for the door, though the world was still fuzzy around the edges.

Being the one who was more awake, Audrey drove. If either was in a more rational state they might have taken the time to look at a clock before leaving because the Diner was not generally open at 4:15 in the morning.

"Awwww" Audrey whined, "Bummer". She pulled the truck out of the parking lot of the obviously closed Haven Diner and headed out onto the main road.

She drive to back into the woods and parked the truck next to a tree, off the main road. Moving into his arms Audrey had a flash of memory. She jerked a little and grabbed her stomach as the image of Nathan rocking back, after being shot in the shoulder, came back to her. She moaned and felt her throat tighten.

Nathan looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong?". His heart began racing. Her eyes filled with tears. "You were shot. Oh God, this place… it's so dangerous". The memory of being shot and tackling the idiot who did it came back to him. It wasn't a painful memory, he couldn't feel the hit, but as he recalled it he froze. There was a storm, and fire. She could have been hurt.

The memory of being in the station when she was trapped on Duke's boat floated to the top - he curled into a ball and choked. _She was missing! How could I have just waited! What if she…? _He began to panic and pulled her tightly into his arms. As each remembered the many times the other had been in danger each became more and more upset. Within a few minutes they were each clinging to each other and sobbing.

"We have to leave" She gasped. "Not safe here… have to go… now". He nodded. Haven would have to do without them. Audrey was all that mattered. They would have to leave today and would deal with telling people after they found a place to hide. "I'll drive us back to my house, we can pack and go".

She nodded and began to move away from him, her hands coming up to clutch at her head. She was a dead panic now. Nathan would get hurt here. Haven didn't matter. Nothing mattered but them and his safety. Her head began to ache and her eyes grew itchy. Nathan didn't notice her reaction as he moved past her and behind the wheel.

Before he could start the truck his vision began to get blurry and everything started to grow dim. "Must leave" she gasped as she lost consciousness. "Now" he grunted as he fell towards her.

To be continued..


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Audrey slipped off her chair onto the rug weeping. In a second Nathan was next to her, arms around her, gasping and beginning to cry. It felt like his whole world had just been destroyed. Breathing hurt, his ribs ached, and his body jerked as his sobs became stronger. He hadn't been this miserable since his mother died. His career was over. There was no way he could be a cop now, Audrey couldn't be in that much danger and he wouldn't be able to do it without her. If she had to find a safer career, so would he.

Audrey sobbed uncontrollably. How could she have been so careless, so stupid - all the times she put him, put them in danger. Her stomach clenched and she gasped as bile rose in her throat. They clung to each other whispering their love and dedication, both sobbing and miserable.

There was a soft 'click' in the lock. Anna came through the door slowly, a box of tissues in one hand and a bottle and spoon in the other. Setting the bottle and spoon on the floor next to her Anna knelt and handed a large pile of tissues to Audrey and then Nathan. "It will be alright, everything will be alright" she said in a soft, calm voice.

Moving quickly but without tension she poured a measure of liquid onto the spoon and gave it to Audrey. Moving faster she filled the spoon again and gave it to Nathan, saying all the while "it's ok, it's ok. Here this will make everything better. Take this… that's it… good".

Audrey had not noticed when Anna came in and was too upset to question the need for the dark cherry colored liquid that she drank. It tasted.. odd. There was not as much of a taste as a sensation. The numbness and tingling began on her tongue and spread down her throat, into her chest. The room went dark.

Anna looked from Nathan to Audrey. Both were sitting very still, their faces slack and eyes closed. She breathed a deep sigh of relief. If she had not been able to get them both to take the liquid together there might have been … trouble. That one time she was too slow and one of the pair saw the stunned, coma like reaction the drink caused. Things went bad quickly and she would have been seriously hurt if she hadn't taken the chance to force a measure of the elixir down his throat.

In a gentle, patient voice she urged them to stand and got them to sit in the chairs again. Using the tissues she wiped their faces, removing any tears still clinging to skin. She bustled around the room, straightening the rug, removing the tea cups, pot, and bottle. Nathan and Audrey sat perfectly still, breathing deeply while she made more tea, replaced the pot and cups and went to retrieve a platter of chocolate biscuits.

"Open your eyes" Anna said. They did but neither seemed to be awake - both stared with a dull, bored expression at the far wall. "What happened when you left here yesterday?" They told her about the conversation by the truck. "Audrey, You remember being shocked that he could feel but believe that the elixir did it. Nathan you didn't tell her all those things, there was no time for that. You both went out by the truck, stared at each other and kissed - hard. Now - what happened next?"

Over the next hour Anna grilled them on all the details and changed some parts to something different, keeping as much of the original memories as she could. This was tricky. People could not have a memory disappear entirely. It never worked - memories tended to leak back. "I love you" was changed to "I love that", "I love how you sound" or "I love fucking you" - depending on the circumstances.

Finally, she had rewritten the details of the day before. "Think back. Remember how you felt about each other yesterday morning, before you came to the shop. Focus on your hopes, your fears, and your dreams. You were close, but not a couple. You like each other, more than you will admit, but act and live as very good friends". They nodded slowly as if moved by her hands.

"That's how you feel now. There was no pain, no sadness. You feel embarrassed and a little jarred but you don't really mind that much. You know what happened to you was just the result of an extremely powerful aphrodisiac. It was nothing to do with you two. You're grateful that you weren't here with someone you are not attracted to, though you won't tell each other that, at least right now".

"You both arrived a little while ago. I was mortified at what happened and you both worked hard to calm me down. I've asked you to sit in here and have some tea while I make something that will make the marks on your necks and elsewhere fade. When I knock on the door you will wake and think the whole thing is pretty funny. It will be a special secret between you. You won't think too much about it and over the next few days it will fade to be something you remember but don't dwell on".

They both slowly nodded, eyes glassy, shoulders slumped. She left closing the door behind her and a minute later knocked gently on the door. They stirred and shook their heads as if clearing them of some kind of fog. Both sat up, their shoulders straight and eyes bright. Nathan grinned and pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand, slowly shaking his head. "Well that was… different". "Indeed" she laughed as she picked a biscuit from the tray and bit into it. Nathan began to chuckle to himself.

Anna opened the door, peeking into the room She entered the room with a sugar bowl and a small jar marked "Bruise Remover". She looked like she had been crying hard and was trying to calm down. "Here you go my dears. I'm so happy that you forgave me ...

END


End file.
